High throughput determination of the biofilm prevention concentration for biofilms using a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium.

The presence of biofilms in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffering from chronic lung infections contributes to the failure of antimicrobial therapy. Conventionally, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) is determined to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of a pathogen, however this parameter fails to predict success in treating biofilm-associated infections. In the present study we developed a high throughput method to determine the antimicrobial concentration required to prevent biofilm formation, using a synthetic cystic fibrosis sputum medium (SCFM2).